1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a technique that provides a web-browsing function using an information device that is installed within a home network and that has player functionality compliant with DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) guidelines.
2. Background Art
As LANs (Local Area Networks) have become more commonplace in the home, many household appliances now use communications functions. With respect to visual appliances, such as TVs, etc., too, products equipped with a function for sharing content, etc., using a communications function have been introduced.
DLNA establishes guidelines for defining technical specifications, etc., for sharing content among visual appliances. By implementing functions compliant with DLNA guidelines, it becomes possible to share content freely even among devices of different vendors. For this reason, DLNA guidelines have become the standard in the field.
Further, with the popularization of DLNA, efforts to make it possible to use, via DLNA devices, data that cannot ordinarily be handled by DLNA or content outside of home networks are also beginning to increase. JP Patent Application Publication (Kokai) No. 2007-272868 A (Patent Document 1) is a related art document regarding one such technique.
Patent Document 1 discloses a visual device, as well as the techniques involved in a system thereof, having a function for using VoD (Video on Demand) services where access is made utilizing DLNA's framework and via a portal site created with HTML (HyperText Markup Language) pages.
On the other hand, through the communications functions visual appliances are now equipped with, new functions are beginning to be realized. In particular, due to the increasing importance of the Internet in our everyday lives, various devices, e.g., TVs, STBs (Set Top Boxes), etc., are equipped with internet browsing functions.